Dark Campaigns

Even though I'm beginning to wonder if the UK ELLE distributers have forgotten about South Africa, I am intensely enjoying the September issue of UK VOGE. One of the many great things about a September issue is that it's a directory for just about every AW campaign worth knowing about. I flipped through the issue last night and picked my favourite ones for the season.

Except for one or two exceptions, each campaign brings out the darker side of the new season in a creative makes-your-eyes-happy kind of way. So here they are. What's your favourite?

 

Gucci

 

Versace

 

Paul Smith

 

Givenchy

 

Stella McCartney

 

Diane Von Furstenberg

 

Etro

 

DSquared²

 

Mulberry

 

Jitrois

 

H&M

 

Maje

60+ Belts At Versace Haute Couture AW12

The AW12 Haute Couture collections were kicked off by Versace. Donatella kept her over-branded AW12-style dresses to a minimal and focused on something new: belts. Obviously there's nothing new about belts, but that coat is made up of over 60 little belts (I counted).

Here are my favourite outfits. Some were just the belts, some started with belts and ended in romantic shreds of silk chiffon. And when there weren't belts, the desses had strategically shredded shreds - all contributing to one of my favourite Versace offerings to date. Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And to top it all off, a good dose of Donatella Versace. We love.

Image vogue.it

 

Fashion Now

This an exciting time of the year for fashion: he collections issues are coming up soon, new designer campaigns are being released, and more exciting celebrity covers are popping up everywhere. Here is a roundup of my favourite stories right now.

 

Okay, if I don't stop blogging about the Beckhams for at least a month after this, you can shoot me. It turns out the Beckham covers UK ELLE released on Monday were in fact both newsstand covers... So you get a choice (yay!). The real subscribers' is this one right here. I'm a sucker for covers with really cool writing on like this - so I absolutely love it.

Meanwhile, Queen Victoria (totes going to start calling her that) was photographed for the June/July issue of German Interview by Angelo Pennetta. Styled by Beth Fenton, this shoot is all about Viccy reading a book. Simple and lovely. I wonder if she and David will keep a bookshelf with magazines they covered for their children...

 

 

In non-Beckham cover news we have Rihanna on the July cover of UK Esquire.

So this cover isn't much about fashion (I don't think those dog tags, or the other scant items they put her in for the rest of the shoot are going to change anyone's life) but may I just say how perfect the SA ELLE editors was to put her on their June cover? Rihanna is definitely in right now.

Photographs by Matt Irwin.

 

 

Moving away from the cover and on to what you may find inside... The AW12 campaigns are slowly but surely being revealed. These are the ones that tickled my fancy...

Those legendary hats by Stephen Jones and Marc Jacobs for AW12 have finally been immortalised in this campaign shot, of course, by Juergen Teller.

And let's not forget Marc's new fragrance coming out soon called spot. The bottle is obviously inspired by a ladybug, one of the only bug I not only tolerate but actually like. Also shot by Juergen Teller, this one is definitely a winner!

Burberry takes us into a cinematic British fantasy. Shot by Mario Testino at the Royal Naval College in Easy London (not South Africa) starring Gabriella Wilde and Roo Panes, this campaign is nothing if not classic.

 

 

From The Fairest Of Them All

After the premiere last night, hype is building for the new Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart blockbuster, Snow White and the Huntsman. What does this have to do with fashion, you ask? Well, not only are our leading ladies on the covers of the world's leading fashion magazines, but the mood of the film picks up exactly where some of the AW 12 shows left off...

The darkness that consumes the promos immediately made me think of Gucci, and Kristen's armour points right to Balmain. So here they are: three outfits from each show. Take them as inspiration for what to wear when you watch the movie. (or what Kristen and Charlize might wear at the premieres)

Gucci AW12

Balmain AW12

 

Left: Charlize on the May cover of UK VOGUE. Right: Kristen on the June cover of UK ELLE.

And here they are at last night's premiere. Charlize looks incredible in Dior Haute Coture and Kristen looks, um, like that in Marchesa. I'm thinking she should have gone with a Balmain dress and me as a stylist.

Fashion For Your Head

The must have accessory of AW12 is definitely a fabulous hat. Your options range from conservative to completely over the top. Whichever you choose, try not to take all that beauty to your head.

Meet the AW12 head girls...

White and woollen at Simone Rocha.

Marc by Marc Jacobs has turned your bad hair day into a cute hat day.

 

Birds of a feather wear hats together at John Galliano.

Minimal. Dior.

Incognito travellers wear Louis Vuitton.

Feather headed Roberto Cavalli.

The cherry on top of the Donna Karan.

Borrow from the boys. Buy Ralph Lauren.

Marc Jacobs creates the hat we all aspire to.